


The Iwatobi City Gym

by thefluffcat



Category: Free!, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Fluff, Gym leader Haru, I had my Pokemon encyclopedia open the entire time when making this, M/M, Makoto has no clue what he is doing, Pokemon AU, Pokemon trainer Makoto, So hopefully it's all accurate, Writing Pokemon battles is hard WTH
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-08-16 01:59:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8082244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefluffcat/pseuds/thefluffcat
Summary: Makoto was just trying to be a good older brother, and like any good brother he would do anything for his siblings. Which includes, but not limited to, battling the water-type gym leader Haruka Nanase, whose innate skill and connection with his Pokemon quickly makes Makoto realize he's out of his depth. MakoHaru Pokemon!AU





	1. Sink or Swim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea has been bouncing around inside my head for awhile now (I love creating imaginary character's Pokemon teams lol) and my Sunday was free soooo that's how I spent 6 hours of my life. Time well spent

Makoto stood in front of the Iwatobi City Gym in awe. The building was huge with beautiful ocean waves painted onto its side, water-type Pokemon dotted throughout the deep blue almost looking alive in their dynamic poses. A fitting mural for the renowned water-type gym he mused. He reached out to touch the highly detailed painting of a Gyaradoes. Whoever the artist was they were very talented. 

He probably would have stood there another hour taking in the details if it wasn't for the insistent calls of "Onii-chan!" from his siblings waiting at the front door. 

"Onii-channn! Hurry up!" Ran called louder than before, stomping her foot impatiently. 

Makoto let out a good natured chuckle and made his way over to the two. He knew his little sister was excited for her first gym battle, she had been training with her Chikorita extra hard the past few days in preparation. 

"Yes yes, sorry, we can go inside now," pulling open the door and then holding it open for his siblings to enter first. 

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Ren called as he sped down the hallway followed closely by Ran. 

"Ahh! No running indoors you two!" He tried to make a grab for the hoods of their jackets but they were already out of reach. 

Paying no mind to their elder brother their excited shouts echoed down the hallway as their footsteps continued on without breaking pace. 

With a sigh Makoto started half-jogging down the blue corridor to catch up with them. Making note on the humidity getting denser the closer he got to the end. 

He could hear an echoed, "Oh wow this is so cool," from Ran up ahead. And when he did reach the bright light of the main room he had to agree, it was pretty cool. 

The hallway had lead to the upper level of the gymnasium, more of a balcony than anything, that looped around half the ginormous room. With a steel railing blocking the edge of a 20 foot drop to the main area below, which could be reached by a stairway located to their right. The main floor consisted of a giant crystal clear pool, almost filling up the entire ground floor if not for a small border of concrete alongside the wall, obviously meant to be a walking path for the trainers. The pool had several flat topped pillar-like rocks scattered throughout it, just tall enough to stick a foot above the water. These rocks creating small platforms probably meant for non-water-type Pokemon to stand on. Though he noticed one was already occupied by a dozing Vaporeon. 

But what caught his attention the most was the shape of a person beneath the surface of the water. 

The movements of the shadow were almost too graceful in nature to be human, and Makoto had to second guess himself that maybe it was a Pokemon after all. But that theory was immediately discredited as the head of person broke the surface of the water, and proceeded to shake out their dripping black hair. As if sensing the watching eyes the person, _boy_ , turned around in the water and made eye contact with him, startling Makoto in their intensity. They were a good distance apart but he could just make out the blue of his eyes, a calming color mirroring the water he swam in. He would estimate the boy to be around his age, and if he had to bet money on it he would guess this was the Iwatobi gym leader. 

A somewhat quiet "welcome" was echoed up at them, and they gave quick "thank you's" in response, a tad louder than the other boy's greeting, before making their way over to the stairs. 

By the time they reached the side of the pool the boy had swam to the edge and was waiting for them. Making no move to get out of the pool Makoto hesitated a second before deciding to be friendly and offering out a hand to the other boy. 

But as a prolonged blank look met his outstretched hand a light panic seized in his chest. Maybe he had been too presumptuous? Maybe this guy didn't want to leave the pool? Why did he think this was a good idea? His friends had always told him he was too nice for his own good. Now he just felt embarrassed at his own actions. 

But just as he started to pull his hand back, and readying an apology, he was startled by a palm entering his hand and a strong grip. 

He was caught so off-guard that he stood still for a second or two before he pulled the other boy out of the pool like he was supposed to. And as the raven haired boy exited the pool Makoto's eyes were graced with the sight of a well-toned lithe body, most likely built from years of swimming, and a tight black swimsuit decorated with purple stripes hugging his thighs. 

Makoto was pretty sure his brain stopped for a full second. 

"Ah, hi, I'm um, I'm Makoto Tachibana, a-and these are Ren and Ran." He gestured behind him to his siblings who gave small waves. 

"Haruka Nanase. Iwatobi gym leader. Nice to meet you." His voice monotone and sentences short. He let go of Makoto's hand and stared at him before looking over to his brother and sister. An expectant expression was on Haruka's face, as if Makoto was suppose to be doing or saying something right now. 

Giving up on waiting Haruka let out a sigh. "So who is challenging me for a Iwatobi badge?" 

Oh, right. What we came here for. Makoto moved behind his sister and gave a gentle pat on her back. "Go ahead," he whispered in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. 

"Ahh... Ah... I.." She opened and closed her mouth nervously, not getting a full sentence out. 

Makoto looked at her worriedly. She had been unstoppably eager not five minutes ago. What had changed? 

She grabbed onto his jacket and tugged in the direction of the exit. "Actually I c-change my mind, we can come back another day." 

"What? Are you scared you'll lose?" Ren teased. 

"N-no I'm not! I just don't want to demolish this gym with my super awesome attacks!" Her voice shook a little as she confronted her twin.

Maybe she really was scared of loosing? Makoto knew she wanted to impress her brothers by winning her first gym badge today, but under the cool stare of the gym leader all confidence seemed to have evaporated. It was like staying up all night studying for a test and then when sitting down the next day to actually take it realizing you still weren't ready. 

Conflicted, Makoto considered his options. He didn't usually battle competitively but he knew that losing was just as much apart of Pokemon training as winning, and _someone_ had to show her that a loss is just a stepping stone to becoming an even better trainer. 

Making a decision Makoto turned towards Haruka. That someone would be him. "Haruka Nanase I challenge you to a gym battle," he said confidently, _at least he hoped it sounded confident._

He seemed annoyed for a split-second before saying, "I prefer being called Haru."

Makoto figured it was because he didn't like the girly sound of his full name. Understanding that struggle he gave a smile and nod in agreement. "Of course Haru."

"Choose your Pokemon and step onto the edge over there," he pointed to a shallow ledge on the right side of the gym. 

Taking off his shoes and socks and rolling up his pants he stepped into the low water on his side of the battle ground. Across the way Haru had also taken his place, still in his swimsuit. _Huh. I guess that swimsuit is his official gym leader outfit?_ It was odd, but somewhat fitting for a water-type gym. 

The Vaporeon who had previously been napping had woken up and was now swimming over to meet their trainer. Joining Haru in the shallows with a splash of their tail whacking the surface. The boy crouched down to give the creature a friendly pat on the head. Which was met with a happy hum and closed eyes. 

Taking a relaxed stance Haru announced, "This will be a one-on-one battle, three Pokemon each, whoever is the first to defeat all the other person's Pokemon is the winner."

Seemed simple enough. Makoto had never entered an official gym battle before but he's had small practice battles with Ran, of which she was winning 23:6. 

A referee with bright pink hair, who appeared out of seemingly nowhere, blew their whistle to signify the start of the match. 

At the sound of the whistle Haru threw his first pokeball. "Dewgong I choose you!" The white seal Pokemon emerged and dove into the water with a mighty splash. 

A second later Makoto also threw out his first pokeball. "Skitty I choose you!" The small pink and yellow cat Pokemon landed on the nearest rock pillar, turning around to look back at Makoto, her tail vibrating in excitement.

"Gooo Onii-chan!" The twins simultaneously cheered. Before whispering to each other, "He doesn't stand a chance does he?"

A sad shake of Ran's head was given in response "Rest in pieces Onii-chan."

Haru gave him an incredulous look, probably trying to figure out if he actually had a plan of attack or was just stupid. Makoto felt his face heat up in embarrassment. 

Any confidence Makoto had managed to build up was dashed away at the sight of the huge white beast in the water. He didn't think this through... He looked over to see Skitty running in a circle chasing her own tail. He _really_ didn't think this through, but it was too late now. 

"Dewgong use Aqua Tail!" With a cry of its name the seal sent a massive wave at Skitty. 

"Skitty dodge!" The little cat made a jump for the next rock over but her reaction was a bit too slow and was caught by the tail end of the wave, being sent flying into the water with a small splash. 

Makoto watched as his Pokemon struggled to swim back to the rock, stubby legs not built for this kind of terrain. He covered his face with his hands, not being able to watch. _She was trying her best okay?_

Haru and his Pokemon had similar looks of pity in their eyes. 

Obviously intent on ending this quickly Haru ordered Dewgong to use Aurora Beam. Which was honestly overkill in his mind as Skitty got blasted with a direct hit, knocking her unconscious as she landed in the water near Makoto's feet. 

"Skitty is now unable to battle! Will the challenger please choose their next Pokemon."

Returning Skitty to her pokeball Makoto gave a quick apology to them, "Ah I'm so sorry! I forgot you had trouble swimming, that was dumb of me," before he pulled out his next Pokemon. "Dratini I choose you!"

His spirits somewhat lifted since this Pokemon could actually swim. Dratini dove straight into the water, his slender body glided through the surface in one fluid motion, hardly a ripple to show his entrance. 

This managed to catch Haru's attention, blue eyes sparkling, "Your Dratini has an impressive level of trust with the water."

"Thanks?" He replied, unable to leave the questioning tone out of his voice, since Makoto was unsure if this was a complement or not. 

This round lasted a lot longer than the last, with Dratini being fast and small in the water he was able to dodge most attacks aimed at him, weaving throughout the water as if he were swimming through air. But any attack the smaller Pokemon attempted was almost completely ineffective against the more powerful water-type. And with a strong Sheer Cold attack by Dewgong, Dratini was knocked out, being caught off guard as he rounded one of the underwater pillars. 

Haru seemed to have expected this outcome as his expression remained neutral through-out the match. 

"The cute challenger is now down to their final Pokemon, if they lose this round they lose the match," the bubbly referee yelled. 

This was it, his last chance... _Wait did he just call him cute?_ Makoto looked up to meet the lavender eyes of the referee and was greeted with a charismatic wink. 

"Oi! Kisumi! Knock it off," Haru sent a glare in the direction of the pink haired boy. 

"Aw I'm just having some fun Haru-chan," Kisumi pouted, seemingly used to the reprimands of his boss. "The position of referee can get so boring when I don't liven it up." 

At the use of that particular nickname Haru's glare became even more icy. Mouth set in a firm scowl. "I'm docking your pay for the next month."

"Okay okay," throwing his hands up in surrender. "Let's just get on with the match." 

"Ah...alright," Makoto pulled out his last pokeball and threw it out onto the field. "Leafeon I choose you!" 

He didn't have high hopes that he would win the match but at the very least he wanted to defeat Haru's first Pokemon. The other boy probably thought he was pathetic at this point, and Makoto couldn't figure out why that made him upset. He knew going in that he wouldn't stand a chance so why was he sad that Haru seemed bored with their match? 

Just then Ran yelled across the gym to him. "You have the type advantage here! You can do it!" Followed closely by Ren, "Yeah kick his butt!" 

_Oh yeah, type advantage..._ He had been so nervous about facing the raven haired gym leader that he forgot all about that aspect of battling. Oops... Although it's not like that would have helped him anyways considering these were his only three Pokemon. 

But seeing their hopeful expressions gave Makoto a new round of energy, he wouldn't win but he would do his best for his siblings. Making eye contact with Leafeon he gave a smile, "You ready to do this girl?" A battle cry was given in response from the grass Pokemon. 

"Alright Leafeon use Leaf Blade!" Her leaf-tail started to glow as it built up energy, and was released as she did a flip in the direction of Dewgong. 

The seal Pokemon dived underwater to avoid the attack. And came up again when Haru ordered an Aqua Tail attack, which was quickly dodged as Leafeon jumped from rock to rock, positioning herself just to the side of Dewgong. 

"Now use Bullet Seed!" A spew of glowing pellets was spit out of Leafeon's mouth and made direct contact with the side of Dewgong's head. With a cry the seal dove back underwater. 

And the rest of the match went on like that; as Dewgong kept coming up to attack Leafeon would continue dodge and retaliate till finally, "Dewgong is unable to battle." 

Makoto looked up at Haru's face eagerly, hoping the bored expression would be gone. And it was, but the expression that took over wasn't any better. Blue eyes were dark, like an ocean stirring before a storm, and if possible, his face looked even more serious. 

"Vaporeon go!" He pointed towards the battlefield, his Pokemon immediately jumped from his side in the shallows to the deeper water of the main pool. 

Leafeon's stance widened in preparation for another battle of dodge and attack. But Makoto and his Pokemon were both surprised when Vaporeon was ordered to jump up onto a stone pillar across from the grass-type, splashing water onto the rock as it got situated. 

A moment of silence settled over the battlefield before both trainers called out attacks. 

There was a continuous back and forth as Bullet Seed and Bubble Bean flew across the field, neither side landing a clear hit, until Vaporeon was ordered to use Whirlpool instead. The splashing of the attack made the water level rise in waves and coat all the rocks in water, so when Leafeon made her next jump her paw slipped on the now slick surface and tumbled into the pool. The Pokemon became dizzy as she was caught in the swirling vortex, only able to keep her head above the water, and Makoto could only watch as the currents slowly died down enough to make swimming normally possible again. 

Running out of options Makoto called a last resort move, "Leafeon use Baby Doll Eyes!" 

With a lot of effort, and few slip ups, Leafeon had climbed onto a rock near Vaporeon. Turning towards the other Pokemon brown eyes widened in what Makoto considered an irresistible look. Her eyes got shiny with unshed tears and became doe-eyed in nature. The Vaporeon's dark blue eyes became dilated and their stance relaxed somewhat. 

"Vaporeon no! Don't look directly into it's eyes! Use Hydro Pump!" Haru called desperately. And while his Pokemon did comply there was no longer a burning energy to it, the water spitting out like a water gun instead of a geyser. 

Having the upper hand Makoto actually got excited, he could see why people did this competitively. 

"Okay one more time use Bullet Seed!" 

Vaporeon was hit directly and knocked into the water. Which would have been a good thing if it wasn't a water-type Pokemon. 

It was a couple seconds before another Whirlpool attack was used and splashed waves against an already soaked Leafeon. And it was with one of these waves that Vaporeon surged out of the water using Tackle, such a simple move Makoto hadn't seen it coming. 

Leafeon was off balance already but coupled with the strong currents continuously buffeting her she was knocked unconscious as she was shoved into an underwater pillar. 

"Leafeon return!" Makoto called while holding out her pokeball. But nothing happened. A sudden realization hit him; _she was out of range at the bottom of the pool._

He felt his stomach drop at the realization and wasted no time in diving into the pool, long strokes taking him to the center in seconds. Only to realize that the whirlpool was still going, making it difficult to swim in the direction he wanted to go once underwater. 

An especially strong current pushed him right into a rock, making him partially open his mouth a lose air in a flurry of bubbles, but cracking open an eye revealed Leafeon a few feet away. Instead of going back up for air like he should have he frantically swam a few strokes to get him within reaching distance of his Pokemon. Pulling the small creature against his chest he began swimming upward with his free arm and kicked aggressively. Getting somewhat closer to the surface only to be pulled down again, at the mercy of the swirling water. His lungs started to ache, crying for that much needed oxygen, and he felt his legs slowly start to feel heavier with each movement. 

Just then he felt a tugging at his free arm, squinting through his blurry water-clogged vision he saw Haru's Vaporeon pulling at his shirt sleeve, teeth digging into the fabric. And further behind the Pokemon he spotted a dark mass getting closer. 

The cream colored head of a large Pokemon soon was right beside him and pushing him towards the surface. Once above the water he gasped for air, large panting breaths escaping his chest. He hung onto the Pokemon's slender neck with one arm in fear that if he let go he wouldn't make it. 

"Are you okay?!" Blue eyes looked down worriedly at him from atop the Pokemon's back, which now that he took a moment, realized was a Milotic, and a shiny one at that, long blue streamers tailing into the water where normally pink ones would be. 

Unable to coherently form an answer he simply pulled Leafeon closer to his chin and further out of the water. Brown eyes blearily starting to open, and leaf-ears twitching against his face. 

The lack of answer must have worried the other boy because he soon slipped off the back of his Milotic and into the space next to Makoto. 

Placing a shaky hand upon Makoto's shoulder, Haru tried reassuring him instead of questioning him this time. "Hey, um.. your going to be okay," he said in a quiet voice. He seemed somewhat awkward in his approach, leading Makoto to believe that Haru wasn't too good when it came to situations like this. Or maybe social interactions in general, thinking back to the few sentences they had shared earlier. 

As the last effects of Vaporeon's Whirlpool started to fade Milotic began to steadily swim to the edge of the pool. Haru holding onto his Pokemon with one arm and Makoto with the other. And as his siblings ran around the edge of the pool, calling his name in high pitched voices filled with panic, it hit him that he could have drowned. Right here, right now, right in front of his sister and brother...

Finally finding his voice Makoto was able to reply to Haru, "Thank you," unwanted tears started to gather in his eyes, "Thank you so much Haru," the last words coming out somewhat choked as he held back his emotions. He had to show his siblings that he was alright. Makoto turned his head towards Haru with a wide smile, quivering at the edges but honest in its gratitude. 

He heard rather than saw a intake of breath from the boy next to him, blue eyes shimmering as he stared at the beautiful genuine smile before him.

The second they reached the ledge and helped each other out Makoto was tackled with enough force to almost knock him over, and he tightened his grip on Leafeon reflexively. It was impossible to make out what they were saying as Ren and Ran both sobbed into his soaked clothes.

The referee Kisumi jogged over holding a pile of towels in his hands, joined by a smaller pink haired boy who had descended from the stairs of the upper level, probably watching the match from above. 

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!" The pink haired boy said while wrapping a towel around Makoto's shoulders. "I've told water-boy over here that his battlefield is too dangerous, but does he listen? Nooooo. Not everyone is as great a swimmer as him." 

Makoto risked a glance over at Haru, fully expecting the raven haired boy to be shooting another glare at the hyper referee, but instead saw guilt clouding his blue eyes, eyebrows drawn down in despair. The second Haru noticed Makoto was staring he turned his head away, looking at the puddled floor instead. 

"H-hey now, it's not Haru's fault, I shouldn't have been so reckless.. I... I should have asked for his help, he is the leader of the water-type gym after all. Anything would have been better than the decision I made..." He trailed off, shoulders sinking in dejection. 

Getting uncomfortable in the tense atmosphere Kisumi quickly changed the subject. "Well whatever the case, your fine and your Pokemon is fine. It's not healthy to dwell on the past." 

It's only been about 30 seconds... Makoto couldn't help but sarcastically think. 

Clapping his hands together he continued on, "Now let's get you all some hot chocolate to warm your spirits! I happen to have a enough marshmallows to feed a Snorlax," making a wide gesture with his arms. "You'd like that right?" The question mainly aimed at Makoto's siblings who had calmed down enough to focus on the warm smile radiating from the pink haired boy. Small nods were given in response which was all Kisumi needed to continue on.

Wrapping arms around Ren and Ran he gently led them down a side hallway, chattering all the while about his amazing hot chocolate making skills. The smaller pink haired boy, who Makoto assumed with Kisumi's younger brother, followed behind while holding onto the bottom of his brother's shirt. 

Makoto wasn't sure why he didn't follow his siblings immediately, he just had a feeling that Haru had more to say, and it would be easier with less people around. 

He looked towards the gym leader, who was really just a teenage boy like himself, and couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him, having to take on such a responsibility at such a young age. He didn't know how but he wanted to lift his spirits. 

"You know, I never imagined my first gym battle to be this exciting" he joked with a half hearted chuckle. "I'll have loads to tell my friend Nagisa next time I see him." 

No verbal response given. Blue eyes flickered to him and then away again. 

Okay so joking wasn't going to work. The only other approach he could try was honesty. 

"Actually... I never imagined my first gym battle to be like anything, since I never planned on entering any," Haru looked over with wide eyes, surprised at this, probably wondering why he chose to battle him then. "The only reason I'm on the road traveling is because Ran has her heart set on becoming a champion and Ren plans on entering every poke-puff baking contest he can. I was so worried imagining them traveling on the road alone that I promised mom I would go with them and make sure they stayed safe. And it was fun, I caught Skitty and my Eevee even evolved into Leafeon," he happily retailed, glancing down at the Pokemon still held in his arms. She had been pretty quiet the the entire time, so quiet he had almost forgotten she was there if not for the added weight. Her leaves were still slightly trembling as she gripped onto Makoto's shirt with her front paws, tired brown eyes staring over his broad shoulder at Haru's Vaporeon, who had refused to leave their side. 

Haru's clear blue eyes were now intently locked onto Makoto, curiously listening to every word he said, and probably wondering where he was going with this train of thought. 

"But when Ran froze up earlier, when you asked who was going to battle you, I knew I had to set a good example for her," he flinched a little at that statement. "...Even though it didn't turn out that way. I wanted to be brave for her. And... It was fun. I didn't think it would be, but it really was. Even though my team still needs some work, the feeling of working together like that was something I have never experienced before," he allowed a smile to start creeping up his face. "And you, you were incredible! You were so in-sync with your Pokemon it's amazing I even defeated Dewgong at all." 

The small smile grew wider with each word he spoke and Makoto looked over to see a light blush tinting Haru's cheeks. "I really enjoyed battling with you Haru, and even though I lost this time... I promise I'll get stronger, I'll work harder, and next time it will be an equal fight, because for some reason you make me want to become better than I am. I want to battle with you again no matter what Haru-chan."

At that point he could feel his cheeks heating up, he had accidentally called him Haru-chan. 

Screaming inside Makoto looked to the left, then to the right, green eyes nervously flickering anywhere but at Haru. Till the other boy's quiet voice drew him back. 

"I would like that..." 

Realizing he should probably elaborate further on his statement Haru added, "...for you to become a better trainer that is. I would like to battle you again as well," he shifted on his feet, looking at Makoto out of the corner of his eye. "And by next time you have to learn to swim better, or your going to have to use the kiddie floats we make all the younger challengers wear."

Makoto sputtered a protest, imagining how embarrassing he would look in front of Haru. But when he looked closer he could see a twinkle in his blue eyes and a slight upturn of his mouth. 

"Hey! Your teasing me!" 

"No I'm not."

"You totally just did," Makoto let out a laugh, letting the airy feeling die down naturally after a minute. 

Haru looked amused, "We should probably join your siblings before they wonder where you are."

"Oh! Y-yeah!" Makoto guilty rubbed the back of his neck. 

They slowly headed down the hallway the others had went down a couple minutes ago. Side by side falling into a steady pace, with Leafeon's head tucked in the crook of Makoto's neck, and Vaporeon padding beside his trainer, a sense of peace enveloped him. 

Makoto was glad the Iwatobi gym had been their first stop and he promised they would be back once he became a trainer worthy of Haru's time. 

And as he glanced over at the odd boy walking around in his swimsuit, as if it were the most natural thing to do, Makoto tried to tell himself this urge wasn't just because he wanted so desperately to step foot again in that crystalline pool with Haru standing across the way, looking powerful and beautiful as the wavy reflections of the overhead lights bounced off the pool and onto pale skin in silky patterns. 

Nope. That wasn't the reason at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are their Pokemon so far; (the ones mentioned at least)
> 
> Haru; [Dewgong](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Dewgong_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\)) [Vaporeon](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Vaporeon_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\)) [Milotic](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Milotic_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\)) (Haru has a shiny one tho, so its colors is a little different) 
> 
> Makoto; [Skitty](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Skitty_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\)) [Leafeon](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Leafeon_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\)) [Dratini](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Dratini_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))
> 
> Ran; [Chikorita](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Chikorita_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))
> 
> Sidenote; If anyone wants to share with me their headcanons about what Pokemon free! characters would have... hit! me! up! I love talking about this kind of stuff (since I am obviously a gigantic nerd) I don't think a03 has a message system? So here's [My Tumblr](http://small-lizard.tumblr.com/)


	2. Everything Whale Be Alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking place about a month later Makoto goes to challenge Rin's gym. Afterwards Haru and Makoto go fishing, and make a new friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet some of you thought this fic was dead. Surprise! My love for Pokemon never dies, and I had a 7 hour plane ride with nothing to do but watch Brooklyn nine-nine and write fanfic B)

In the month following his crushing defeat at the Iwatobi City gym Makoto worked hard training with Ran to not only boost her skill but his as well. And that training had paid off in the form of three gym badges; a AA Battery badge from the electric type gym, run by the well known oddball gym leader, Goro Sasabe, the Umbrella badge from Ms Amakata's flying type gym, and the Grey Duckling badge from the newly appointed normal type gym leader, Aiichiro Nitori.

With these wins under his belt, coupled with the addition of Mareep to his team, Makoto was feeling more confident in his battling skills. _Maybe competitive battling wasn't as scary as he originally thought_.

Currently they were on their way to the fourth gym to fight for the fire type badge, and according to Ran's 'beginning trainers' guide this guy once held the position of Champion in this region, but soon gave it up for unknown reasons. There were many theories circulating as to why someone would give up such a prestigious position, but none had been confirmed in interviews or otherwise.

Walking up the gravel path, that came off the main road, Makoto and his siblings gazed on in awe at the giant cherry blossom trees lining the walkway, arching over them with twisting branches covered in dark pink petals and still curled buds. Some of the petals were currently gently falling through the air, twirling in a circle before landing on the already half-pink covered earth.

Brushing a couple of the pink petals out of his hair Makoto looked over his shoulder to see that Skitty and Ren's Cyndaquil were playing with the falling petals.

Skitty was running in circles till the petal was close enough to jump up and grab with her mouth, which she then chewed for a second before spitting back out in favor of chasing another one. Cyndaquil on the other hand was having fun burning the petals and then watching them curl up and turn to ash. The little pyromaniac....

"Ren can you please stop Cyndaquil before he catches the path on fire," Makoto pleaded.

Running over to pick his Cyndaquil off the ground Ren turned back towards his brother. "I'm trying to teach him the dangers of fire but.. since he's basically fire... he doesn't understand." Ren frowned down at his pokemon.

A vicious flashback to the night Cyndaquil almost set their tent on fire played in Makoto's mind.

"I'm.. sure he'll get it eventually," he smiled in what Makoto hoped was a reassuring manner.

"And the sooner the better because your dumb Cyndaquil almost caught my Chikorita's leaf on fire!" Ran interjected.

"How is that Cyndaquil's fault? Your Chikorita got in the way when we were trying to bake Pokepuffs!"

"You shouldn't be using your pokemon's back as a stove top anyways!"

"It's not like we have an actual stove out her-"

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Makoto waved his hands in a placating gesture. "Ran that _was_ an accident, and Chikorita should know better than to get too close when they are baking, but Ren you should really keep on eye on Cyndaquil, you know how he gets fired up so easily."

Quiet mumbles of apologizes were given as both his siblings averted their eyes.

But the silence didn't last long as they approached the main building and were met with a towering flame tinted structure, inciting astonished sounds from the Tachibanas. The building was four or maybe five stories tall, the metal paneling on it glowing copper in the direct sunlight, somewhat blinding Makoto as it reflected into his eyes. Squinting against the light he could just make out the Talonflames swooping through the air and roosting in the wide windowsills at the top. Surrounding the whole structure was a vast moat, cutting off the island the gym rested on from the surrounding land, which was peculiar, to say the least, for a fire type gym.

The unusual set-up triggered excited chatter from both Ren and Ran as they discussed what the elevated rings in the moat could be for, the two of them never being able to hold a grudge against each other for more than a minute at a time.

Just as they got to the middle of the bridge a loud crackle could be heard as the rings in the moat suddenly flickered to life. The loud noise scaring Skitty, causing her to jump straight into Makoto's arms and bury her head in the juncture of his armpit.

Ren and Ran scurried over to the edge of the bridge, gripping onto the railing, as they leaned over to get a closer look.

Not a second passed by before a Sharkpedo broke through the water's surface, flying through the ring of fire in a powerful arc, before once again landing back in the moat with a tremendous splash.

His siblings practically had stars in their eyes as they turned back towards him in excitement.

"That was so cool!"

"Do you think it'll do it again?!"

Makoto was just about to answer, that maybe if they asked the Sharkpedo nicely it would, when he was interrupted by a boisterous voice.

"Ha ha! I see you've met my pal Sharkpedo!"

Turning towards the direction of the gym, the owner of the voice, a red-headed boy, could be seen walking towards them.

"Waah! This is your Pokemon!? It's so cool!" Ran exclaimed.

"I thought this was the fire type gym?" Ren tilted his head in confusion. "Sharkpedo is a dark/water type...?"

The red-head walked to the edge of the water, where Sharkpedo swam up to meet him. "Yes and yes," he reached out to pet the shark pokemon, which closed its eyes in contentment. "This guy has been my teammate since grade school. He helped me win the championship and when I became the leader of this gym I didn't have the heart to let him go, and he didn't want to leave either. So now he just puts on this kickass show for the trainers arriving."

Makoto had just opened his mouth to ask the other boy to mind his language when he noticed the sharp teeth smirking up at him, and it wasn't the Pokemon's. Closing his mouth immediately Makoto thought it best not to confront a guy who sharpens his teeth to.... look more intimidating?

Shaking the water off his hand the gym leader left the waterside and stepped onto the bridge to greet them. "Rin Matsouka, leader of the fire type gym! Now whose here to battle?!"

Rin stood with confidence, hands on his hips, and sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight.

"That would be me and Onii-chan!" Ren grabbed Makoto's hand and tugged him forward.

Rin looked puzzled for a second as he scrutinized Makoto. "Aren't you a little bit old to be starting your Pokemon journey?"

Feeling the heat rising on his face Makoto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well.... there isn't really an age limit is there..?" _Wait is there?_ He hadn't really sat down to read the Pokemon beginners guide like Ran had.

"Oi, lighten up dude I'm just messing with you," a heavy slap on his back accompanied Rin's teasing remark. Skitty jumped a little bit at the same time Makoto did.

"Haha right... " Well now he just felt double embarrassed for getting embarrassed in the first place.

"Well that's enough standing around! Let's get battling!" Rin clapped his hands together, an excited glint to his red eyes, and walked towards the doorway, expecting them to follow.

Upon entering the building Makoto soon realized that Rin's Sharkpedo entrance show was the least flashy of this guy's gimmicks. The arena area was as big as the building itself, wide and impressively tall with open skylights at the ceiling, there were also projectors that played repeating loops of volcanoes erupting onto the walls. To top it all off the battlefield had real flowing lava. _Real freaking lava_. Was that even legal? It surely wasn't safe for the Pokemon or trainers involved.

Glancing over to the gym leader, Makoto noticed that he had changed from his t-shirt and jeans to a skintight black suit with red jagged stripes running along the sides. He must have been wearing it under his clothing the whole time.

Stepping onto the rocky ledge slightly above the field of flowing lava Rin waved to someone on the other side of the field.

On the other side of the room Makoto could see a girl running along the edge of the field carrying what looked like more of the black suits Rin was wearing but with different colored stripes.

It was only a couple more seconds before she made it up to them, wiping the sweat from her brow with a puff. "Ugh it's like 100 degrees in here," she whined. "I should really get paid for this."

"Um, hi?" Makoto hesitantly greeted.

"Oh sorry! Hi! I'm _Kou _Matsouka, and these," she handed Ran and him both a suit. "Are for you. They are flame retardant suits so you can't sue my brot- I mean.... it's a safety precaution!" She corrected with a smile.__

__Being directed to the changing rooms, him and Ran soon emerged ready to battle.... sort of. "Um, not to complain but... I think my suit is a little too tight?"_ _

__Kou just eyed him up and down. "Looks fine to me."_ _

__"B-but-"_ _

__Before Makoto could even argue he was forcibly pulled away by his sister. "Come on Onii-chan!! Let's do this!!"_ _

__Stepping onto the rocky stage Makoto faced towards Rin ready to battle._ _

__Calling from across the field Rin shouted. "I forgot to ask, what's your name?"_ _

__Raising his voice to be heard across the wide room he called back. "Makoto Tachibana."_ _

__The gym leader's posture shifted at this. "Oh? You don't say?" A smirk broke out across his face. "You wouldn't happen to have a Leafeon would you?"_ _

__"Yes..?" He couldn't help the question leaking into his answer, as he saw no reason why that would matter, or how he even knew that. The only Pokemon he had had out earlier was Skitty._ _

__"Perfect." Sharp teeth shaped into a predatory smile as he pulled his hair back into a short ponytail._ _

__Honestly Rin's battling style was just as extra as the gym he ran. His Volcarona doing unnecessary spirals of flames instead of direct hits, and his Arcanine literally double kick flipping out of the way when attacks were directed at it._ _

__His team wasn't exactly a good match against a fire type gym and Makoto knew it. His strongest Pokemon being Leafeon was actually a problem in this situation, as grass was the opposite of helpful against fire._ _

__Skitty, Mareep, and Dratini put up a good fight, _Skitty's idea of fighting being more like running away_ , but one by one they got knocked unconscious. _ _

__By the time Makoto lost he was dripping in sweat, and now fully understood how Rin had once been the Champion of this region._ _

__Rin came around to shake his hand in good sportsmanship, but when Makoto went to pull away the grip on his hand tightened._ _

__"You know... Haru mentioned his battle with you, and he _never_ talks about his battles."_ _

__A warm feeling blossomed in Makoto's chest._ _

__"So I was expecting some awesome trainer to come in and offer a real challenge."_ _

__And there goes that warm feeling._ _

__Probably noticing the hurt expression cross Makoto's face Rin quickly backpedaled. "Ah! Shit! Wait, sorry, that came out wrong!"_ _

__"No, no, it's okay," Makoto waved off the apology. "I'm surprised Haru didn't mention how badly I lost the battle at his gym, haha." He laughed to try and turn around the mood._ _

__Rin frowned at him, hopefully not because of the forced laughter._ _

__"Onii-chan! Onii-chan! It's my turn!" Ran called impatiently from the sidelines, jumping up and down in her black and pink striped suit._ _

__"Alright, alright." He stepped away from Rin, who did let go of his hand this time. From the way his sister was jumping around you would think she had Durants in her pants or something._ _

__Resigning himself to standing on the sidelines with Ren, Makoto had to accept the fact that he needed to boost his team in some way before coming back to face Rin again. Letting out a sigh, Makoto just felt like taking a 10 hour nap._ _

__\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_ _

__\- Back at the Iwatobi City Gym -_ _

__Laying in the shallows of the pool, part battlefield, Makoto just stared up at the ceiling, watching the clouds drift past through the skylight. He had brought his own bathing suit this time in preparation, and he was glad he did, as he had been splashed on several occasions throughout the battle._ _

__He felt ripples of water lap at his sides as his vision filled with blue eyes and dark hair._ _

__"You came closer to beating me this time." Haru spoke while leaning over the other boy._ _

__"Haruuuuu," Makoto whined._ _

__"What?" The other boy tilted his head in confusion._ _

__"Don't say it like that."_ _

__"Like what?" Haru took a seat next to Makoto in the shallow water._ _

__"Like I didn't just catastrophically lose again."_ _

__"......you didn't do _that_ bad," Haru shrugged. _ _

__Makoto gave him a pout. Haru was right, he didn't do too bad compared to how horrible their first match had went, but he still felt like a failure as he lost again even with the addition of Mareep, his second Pokemon with a type advantage._ _

__He had returned to Haru's gym soon after his defeat at Rin's fire type gym. He can't explain why he did this exactly, he knew his team wasn't ready, he knew he wasn't ready. Maybe it was because he wanted to see how much he had improved. Or maybe he just wanted to see Haru again after Rin's mention of him._ _

__Breaking the comfortable silence Makoto attempts a joke. "Two losses in a row. What's the next hardest gym? I might as well go for three."_ _

__Haru, obviously not appreciating the self-deprecating humor, ground out. "Don't beat yourself up over losing to Rin, he gets fired up and battles intensely, but he's mainly hot air. Just get a couple good water types and he'll lose some of that ego pretty quick."_ _

__"Ah! So you _do_ know Rin! He mentioned that he talks to you." _ _

__"Yeah when we were kids we were sort of... rivals? I guess you would say. We started our Pokemon journey at the same time, so we were always neck-and-neck when it came to getting gym badges."_ _

__"That's so great that you've managed to stay friends all these years! And both become gym leaders as well!"_ _

__Haru shrugged in response. "It's okay."_ _

__Haru didn't have to say anything more. It was simple to figure out what he meant with that response. Rin's personality clashed greatly with Haru's, the water type boy being mellow and calm like a pool, while the other boy was fiery just like his gym, bright and demanding attention._ _

__"Well I'm glad. He seems like a pretty cool guy, if not a little too direct..."_ _

__Haru snorted, as if saying 'well that's an understatement'._ _

__Makoto let out a sigh, and Haru raised his eyebrow at him in question._ _

__"It seems he was expecting more of a challenge from me though... I guess I have more than one person to impress now, right Haru?"_ _

__Haru just blinked at him a couple times before standing up. "Follow me."_ _

__"Eh? Haru?" Sitting up from his laid back position his head turned towards the other boy._ _

__But Haru was already out of the pool walking to one of the side doors, Vaporeon jumping out of the pool and quickly padding after him._ _

__Knowing that his siblings were in another room playing video games with Hayoto, and would be fine on their own for a few hours, Makoto jumped up from his position and jogged over to catch up with Haru._ _

__Following Haru down a few hallways and through another door, they ended up outside, and what greeted them was a giant river, spanning maybe 30 yards across. Politoeds and Marill could be seen splashing in the water and resting on the banks under the trees._ _

__"This river leads to the ocean."_ _

__Makoto turned back towards Haru just in time to see him pulling out a Pokeball and releasing Milotic. The graceful Pokemon landing in the river with a small splash despite its size._ _

__Haru entered the river right after and swam up to his Pokemon, Vaporeon right on his heels letting out a few yips of excitement._ _

__Confused about what was happening, but seeing the expectant look from Haru, he soon joined the other boy in the water and swam over to them._ _

__Feeling like he had stayed quiet long enough Makoto voiced the question growing inside him. "Um, Haru, what are we doing exactly?"_ _

__"You'll see."_ _

__Well that wasn't a very satisfying answer, but he knew that was all he was going to get out of Haru at this time, and he was strangely okay with it. Makoto trusted him, which is why when Haru slide onto Milotic's back and patted behind himself Makoto didn't hesitate before climbing on as well._ _

__They quickly sailed down the river, going much faster than they possibly could if they had swum this distance. Vaporeon kept pace behind them, the fins on their back the only visible part of them. A group of Surskits gliding on the water rapidly dispersed as they barreled past on the much larger water type._ _

__Before long they reached the end of the river, the water spilling into the salty sea spray. Wingulls cried overhead and Slowpokes could be seen dozing on the rocks resting between the waves._ _

__Haru hopped off his Milotic to join Vaporeon in the low tide. Wading his way over to the shore, then making his way further up to a small storage shed on the outskirts of the beach, where the sand started to turn to grass._ _

__Unsure what to do, Makoto hesitated before sliding off Milotic's back and wading closer to shore, where Haru was already heading back holding two fishing rods._ _

__Haru held out a rod for Makoto to take, but his confusion must have been evident on his face, because the other boy went to clarify the situation._ _

__"You'd stand a better chance against Rin if you had a water type on your team."_ _

__This came as somewhat a shock to Makoto. Out of all the possible scenarios he had imagined while soaring down the river this wasn't even in the top five. His top imaginary scenario being Haru taking him to an ice cream shop along the river to cheer him up.... okay maybe these imaginary scenarios weren't as realistic as he had thought. But that doesn't change the fact that this kind gesture seemed out of character for the quiet boy. Haru didn't strike him as the type to bring people pokefishing in his free time, let alone someone he hardly knew outside of a couple matches and the occasional text after exchanging phone numbers._ _

__Makoto must have waited too long to respond, because an unsure look crossed Haru's features and he started to bring the rod he was holding out closer to his body._ _

__Not liking that look on Haru's face Makoto hastily reached out to take the offered rod, "Ah thank you so much Haru-chan! That's a great idea! I've never been much good at fishing," he chuckled shyly to himself. "This one time I tried to catch a Sealeo, and let me say, that's an experience I do not want to repeat for as long as I live."_ _

__Haru's face seemed to brighten at this, hardly noticeable except for the smoothening of his eyebrows and a twinkle in his eye. But that look was quickly replaced by an annoyed one as he digested everyone Makoto had said. "Drop the chan or I take my rod back."_ _

__"Fair enough," Makoto shrugged, turning to look out towards the sea, using his hand as a visor. "So are we taking a boat out there or..."_ _

__"Milotic can take us. But you should probably have a Pokemon ready to battle."_ _

__"Erm, alright," reaching into his waterproof fannypack he had bought along with the swimsuit, Makoto pulled out Leafeon's pokeball. "Leafeon I choose you."_ _

__The grass pokemon shook herself out and stretched as soon as her paws hit the sand._ _

__Spotting their friend, Vaporeon raced from the shallows to greet them, kicking up splashes of water with their tail as they ran._ _

__Remembering each other from last time, the two eeveelutions rubbed faces before running circles in a playful game of tag._ _

__Makoto went to reach for his phone to take a picture of the cute scene before remembering he had left his phone safe and dry back at the gym. He was just about to complain about a missed photo opportunity when he heard the clicking of a camera next to him. Turning to see Haru holding his phone out, life-proof case protecting the device, Makoto opened his mouth to ask for a copy of the photo, but Haru beat him to the punch._ _

__"I'll send it to you."_ _

__He couldn't help smiling at that. He didn't know how Haru had known exactly what he was thinking, but he found that he wasn't weirded out by it, like he maybe should be._ _

__A few minutes later they were out at sea, close enough to still see the shore but far enough that they definitely couldn't see the bottom of the ocean anymore. Which, if Makoto was being honest with himself, kinda freaked him out a little bit._ _

__Leafeon didn't look much better than he felt. Claws somewhat digging into his skin as she hung on for dear life. Her wide brown eyes were scanning the dark waters for possible enemies._ _

__"You're okay right?"_ _

__"Ye-yeah I'm fine. Just need to get adjusted a little bit," he excused, as he started to busy himself with the fishing rod. This didn't really look sturdy enough to reel in anything bigger than a Magikarp._ _

__Haru handed him what looked like bait and lure to attack to the fishing hook. "The lure and hook are completely harmless, so don't worry about hurting the Pokemon."_ _

__To be honest Makoto hadn't been worried about that part at all, Haru loved the water and it's inhabitants too much to actually use anything that would harm it, but he nodded in understanding all the same._ _

__Casting his line out towards the bubbling waters Makoto prepared himself for a long wait, which was why he was so shocked when he already felt a tugging on his line a few minutes later._ _

__Reeling in the line as fast as he could, he could see Leafeon preparing herself from the corner of his eye, balancing along Milotic's spine._ _

__But suddenly the line went slack and he ended up reeling in a whole lotta nothing. The end of the line snipped off, taking the hook, lure, and bait with it._ _

__He looked to his left to see Haru surface from beneath the water, _when he had even gone underwater Makoto wasn't sure,_ but the other boy had a small smile on his face, amusement apparent in his eyes, half hidden behind goggles. "It was a Krabby." _ _

__Makoto puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "Now what am I suppose to do?" He asked while holding the cut line out for all to see, all in this case being Haru and their few Pokemon._ _

__"You can always try to wrestle a Pokemon into submission."_ _

__"Has that actually ever worked for anyone?" He said with a chuckle._ _

__"I don't know.... Rin says he's done it, but he likes to be dramatic and exaggerate everything, so I'm not sure I believe it."_ _

__"I guess I should just use your rod now.." he said while picking up the spare rod they had brought out with them. Feeling a little rude though, he quickly backtracked. "Unless of course your going to use it! Then I won't!"_ _

__"It's fwne," the response a bit muffled as Haru sank a little deeper into the water, only his eyes and hair still visible, before he fully ducked back underwater._ _

__Using the spare rod Makoto continued pokefishing, but this time it did take longer. He could feel the sun bearing down onto his exposed back, heating his skin to an uncomfortable level. He really should have worn sunscreen. Plus on top of that he could feel Milotic getting restless, the elegant Pokemon squirming every now and then. Leafeon on the other hand had decided to take a nap on the larger creature's back, leaves spread out fully to catch the sunlight._ _

__His gaze traveled till it landed on Haru, who had slowly gotten further and further away as he swam with Vaporeon._ _

__The cool water his feet dangled in seeming more tempting by the minute._ _

__"Okay I think it's break time," he said to himself as he slid off of Milotic's back into the cold ocean._ _

__A spilt second of panic filled his heart as he fell a little too deep. The feeling of nothingness beneath his feet very disturbing, until his brain rebooted and he remembered that he had to kick his legs to propel himself to the surface._ _

__Shaking his hair out, he was meet with the sight of Leafeon leaning down toward the water, sniffing loudly right in his face._ _

__"I'm okay girl," he said while reaching out to let her sniff his now saltwater covered hand._ _

__Turning back to where he had last spotted Haru, he was nearly given a heart attack to find him only a few feet behind him. _Holy Miltank he swims fast.__ _

__Haru nodded his head to the side and then took off, expecting Makoto to follow, which of course he did. The two of them swimming with the waves as Milotic drifted beside them, Vaporeon occasionally sending a splash at the offended Leafeon who was the recipient of said splashes._ _

__It wasn't long before they saw some pink spiky Pokemon swimming close to the surface of the water, and Makoto couldn't help but grumpily wonder where they all were when he was trying to pokefish a few minutes ago._ _

__The Corsolas seemed to be familiar with Haru and eagerly came up to him to be pet on the head._ _

__He was gentle when petting them, being careful to avoid their spiny extensions, and Makoto was too far away, but Haru's lips moved like he was murmuring something to them._ _

__He was too distracted from looking at Haru's lips to notice the sudden giant shadow rising from beneath him until it was too late._ _

__Makoto was suddenly flipped upside down as he was lifted out of the water and then rolled back in._ _

__Sputtering out the salty water and trying to blink his eyes clean, Makoto took in the blurry sight of a huge Wailmer._ _

__The Wailmer playfully swam up to Makoto and blew more seawater at him through its nostrils._ _

__Holding up a hand to try and protect his eyes Makoto let out a cry of protest. "Hey stop that!" But there was no venom behind his words, in fact he was halfway laughing while saying it._ _

__The Wailmer turned to also blow water in Haru's face, but it was too slow and Haru had already ducked underwater to avoid the 'attack'._ _

__Letting out a low whine at being denied it's fun, Wailmer changed its target back to Makoto and proceeded to splash him using its flippers._ _

__Their fight so degraded into a childlike splashing contest with Wailmer being the obvious winner._ _

__At the end Makoto was laughing so hard he almost had trouble staying afloat. The Wailmer seemed to notice this predicament and dived underwater to only resurface underneath Makoto, holding him up._ _

__While resting on the Wailmer's back it occurred to him that maybe he could add this Pokemon to his team. Wailmer was a decent water type Pokemon and had a good temperament on top of that. Reaching for an unused pokeball Makoto paused on the zipper of the pack when he spotted Haru treading water nearby next to a few other Wailmer and a couple Wailords. _Oh. They must have been traveling in a pod.__ _

__The one Wailord in particular keeping a close eye on them._ _

__Realization hit Makoto at that moment._ _

__Taking his hand away from the pack, Makoto instead went to rub the top of the Wailmer's head._ _

__"That's your mom isn't it?" He whispered the question to the Pokemon beneath him._ _

__A resounding puff of water left the Wailmer's nostrils in response._ _

__"I'll take that as a yes."_ _

__Makoto wanted a water type Pokemon but he would never intentionally separate a family if he had a choice. Leafeon, or Eevee at the time, and Dratini he had both hatched from eggs, while Skitty was a gift from his mother, as her Delcatty had had a litter of Skittys. Even Mareep he hadn't separated from anyone, finding the little guy alone in a field and more than willing to join Makoto on his journey._ _

__Sliding off Wailmer's back, he swam over to join Haru and the rest of the pod._ _

__When he got close enough he was able to hear Haru making clicking noises at the Wailords, which they seemed to understand as they were clicking back in response._ _

__"What are you saying to them?"_ _

__"I'm imitating the clicks they use in greeting. I've picked up the pattern after the few times I've met this particular pod."_ _

__"Oh is that why they were so friendly towards me? Because you were here too?" Makoto knew that Wailmer were known to be friendly Pokemon but it had seemed a little too outgoing to be natural._ _

__"Possibly."_ _

__"Can I try to say hello too?"_ _

__Haru made a sweeping motion with his hands, inviting Makoto to give it a try._ _

__Trying to imitate the clicking sounds he had heard Haru making not even a minute ago, Makoto quickly realized that he had no clue what he was doing. And Haru didn't seem too inclined to help out, just watching in amusement as Makoto probably made a fool out of himself._ _

__Surprisingly one of the Wailords did respond to his calls, clicking back in excitement and practically pushing him underwater as it nudged against his face._ _

__"Ah-h Haru! What's it doing?!" _What did I even say!?__ _

__Half trying to stay afloat as the Wailord now tried to push him underneath one of its flippers, Makoto turned towards Haru to see his mouth twitching at the corners, fighting back a smile, or maybe even a laugh._ _

__"Pfft, she thinks your a baby Walimer." A small laugh does escape during this explanation._ _

__"What?! What did I say?" He struggled to say while pushing up at the offending flipper._ _

__"You were coming pretty close to making the sound Wailmers make when in distress."_ _

__Not getting a chance to respond Makoto was pressed flat against the Wailord's body, trapped by the flipper pressing against his other side._ _

__"A little help here."_ _

__Haru swam closer to the two of them, peeking underneath the flipper, "I think she likes you."_ _

__"Haruuu, please," desperation leaking into his voice. It's somewhat hard to pick out the teasing note with Haru, since his joking tone only slightly differs from his usual monotone one._ _

__He felt a hand grip onto his arm and tug him towards the exit of the flipper made enclosure._ _

__Looking up at the towering Wailord Makoto felt a little uneasy, "I... I think we should head back now, Ren and Ran might start to wonder where we are."_ _

__Swimming swiftly back to Milotic, and receiving a worried look from Leafeon, Makoto glanced back to see the Wailord drifting after them, her big black eyes watching them as they started to head back to shore._ _

__By the time they reached the opening to the river Wailord had still refused to turn around, even when Milotic sent an aggressive splash that clearly meant 'back off'._ _

__"Haru, what should we do?"_ _

__"She can't follow us up the river. We don't have to do anything."_ _

__"Okay I gues- wOAh!"_ _

__Makoto was unable to finish his sentence when he was roughly grasped by the leg and hoisted into the air. Dragged back into the salty surf Makoto struggled to keep his head above the water as Wailord gripped his ankle lightly between her teeth._ _

__But he was soon let go and tumbled fully into the water, back hitting the sandy ground in the shallows. Wiping the salt water from his eyes he saw that Leafeon and Vaporeon were both sending attacks at a now extremely distressed Wailord. The massive creature swinging its head back and forth in warning._ _

__"Leafeon ah-stop!" Makoto managed to choke out between coughs._ _

__Distracted by his call Leafeon looked back just as Wailord fired a water gun attack, sending both the eeveelutions flying._ _

__Seeing that both of them were fine, Makoto started running into the somewhat deeper water, trying his best to calm the Wailord._ _

__"Shushhh it's okay it's okay." _Even though the slight panic in his voice did little to carry that message__ _

__Suddenly right behind him Haru spoke. "Makoto try making the clicking sounds you made earlier."_ _

__"I-I don't even remember how I made those sounds!"_ _

__Placing his hand on Makoto's shoulder, getting him to turn towards the other boy, Haru gave him a look that said, 'just try it please'._ _

__Clearing his throat before attempting his poor imitation of Wailmer calls, Makoto noticed an instant change in the Pokemon._ _

__She stopped thrashing and kicking up waves to tilt her eye towards him, letting out a sad hum before nuzzling against him, almost knocking him over if not for Haru right behind him, placing a hand on his back to steady him._ _

__A concentrated look took over Haru's face for a second, eyebrows drawn together in thought, before looking back at Makoto with more of his typical neutral expression. "It looks like we found your new teammate."_ _

__It took Makoto a second to catch up to what Haru was saying, tilting his head in confusion before it clicked. "No Haru! I can't! She has a family to go back to!"_ _

__He turned to point back towards the pod, which could still be seen floating out at a distance._ _

__"She doesn't. Not really."_ _

__"Huh?"_ _

__"A few years ago she got into a bad boating accident, and while she was recovering in the pokemon center her pod had moved on. This pod is the one that took her in after."  
__

__"I can't believe her pod would just leave her behind like that..." Leaning his full weight onto the Wailord, in what was an attempt at a hug that didn't even reach halfway around her jaw, Makoto patted her in a hopefully comforting way.__

__"Pokemon get captured by trainers all the time, its's not so hard to believe that they would accept the loss better than people would."_ _

__"Still... it doesn't seem right." Makoto whispered to himself. He couldn't ever imagine moving on if his mom or siblings were taken away. Taking a step back, Makoto addressed the Wailord directly. "So you really want to come with me?"_ _

__The Wailord gave a happy rumble in reply before once again squishing him with her flipper._ _

__"I'll take that as a yes." He grunted out, in-between pushing against the pressuring appendage._ _

__"I'm sure you'll make a great trainer for her, if she doesn't squish you to death first." Haru commented with his dry humor._ _

__Makoto rolled his eyes in response. If there was one thing he had learned about Haru today, it's that he joked a lot more than Makoto had originally thought. It was just hard to tell sometimes what was sarcasm and what was serious._ _

__\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_ _

__With the help of Haru's training and expertise in water type moves, Makoto had soon trained up Wailord to be a valuable assist to the team. Skitty was little nervous about the new teammate at first, considering the giant Pokemon a threat to their small sized safety, but had gotten over that fear quickly when Wailord had shared her leftover food with Skitty._ _

__Not even a month later Makoto returned to Rin's gym more confident in himself than he had ever been, and this confidence rewarded him with the fire type gym badge, which was in the shape of a Sakura tree on fire... _This guy sure was out there__ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I stg autocorrect if you change onii-chan to onion-chan one more time....  
> \- Rin is extra af and that would totally reflect in his gym and battling style  
> \- Holy Miltank = Holy Cow. I know. I'm hilarious.  
> \- I know for the first chapter I linked to the bulbapedia pages of all the mentioned Pokemon but.... there were a ton in this chapter so i'm gonna skip that part sorry ^^"


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